The lost gardens of the Palace of Meirás (Pazo de Meirás), a journey through time

The Pazo de Meirás (Meirás Palace) is a vast historical and artistic heritage complex with a great cultural and political importance in the recent history of Spain, being one of the most recognizable buildings for the Spanish people nowadays. Therefore, the current conservation status of the gardens has been assessed through the reconstruction of its historical evolution. Originally, the Pazo de Meirás and its gardens were built linked to the artistic and romantic style imprint of the outstanding writer Countess Emilia Pardo Bazán (1856­–1921). The gardens experienced their greatest splendor during this period. In fact, the historical floral diversity of the gardens, with a total of 154 recorded taxa, is among the highest in Galician manor houses. However, the context of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) involved a drastic change: the palace became the summer residence of the head of the Spanish state, General Francisco Franco (1938–1975). Despite subsequent neglect and a fire in 1978, the estate’s intrinsic value led to its return to the Spanish State in 2020. Currently, the gardens could constitute a significant cultural asset linked to the Countess of Pardo Bazán and to the socio-political changes that took place in Spain during the 20^th century.